Big Bucks and Then Some
by Yuki Louve
Summary: An old game show has just been revived, and a couple of KoF characters particpate. In one episode, a lot more than money is on the line. A memorial of sorts to the host and announcer of the game show in question.
1. A Lot More Than Money: Round One

I don't own anything except this story, so don't sue. The prize values given (which were on the actual show and are now, for the most part, outdated) are for scoring purposes only and do not reflect the actual (current) value of the items, so don't bother correcting me on that.

* * *

"Today, these three players are after _high stakes_... but they'll have to avoid the Whammy, as they play the most _exciting_ game of their lives!" exclaimed Rod Roddy. And indeed it was the most exciting game of the three contestants' lives, as a lot more than money was on the line. "From Television City in Hollywood, it's time to PRESS YOUR LUCK! And now, here's your host, the star of 'Press Your Luck', Peter Tomarken!"

Right on cue, Peter came onstage saying, "Thank you! Thank you!" as he made his way to the podium. "Thank you, Rod Roddy, and welcome to this special edition of 'Press Your Luck', where one of these three gentlemen will walk away with big bucks and a special surprise. What say we meet these guys, starting with our first player, Aoshi Shinomori!"

Aoshi clapped upon hearing his name.

"So, Aoshi," said Peter, "what brings you here today?"

"Well, the big surprise, mostly," said Aoshi. "And big bucks to go with that would be great!"

"Well, best of luck to you," said Peter. "Let's meet our second player, Andy Bogard! How are you, Andy?"

"Fine, Peter," Andy replied, smiling.

"Now you're a fighter, I believe?" asked Peter.

"Yes, Peter," replied Andy. "I'm a master of Koppo-ken."

"Think you can fight off the Whammy?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Well, then. Best of luck to you, too. Now let's meet our third player, Eiji Kisaragi!"

Eiji merely nodded.

"So, tell us a little about yourself," said Peter.

"Well, I live up in the mountains of Japan, which is where I hope to take my winnings," said Eiji.

"That's nice," said Peter. "Well, let's get started. I give you four questions. A correct buzz- in will give you three spins and a multiple choice gives you one. Are you ready?"

"Yes," the three contestants responded.

With that, Peter asked the first question. "One of the biggest festivals in Japan is Tanabata, or the star festival, which is always celebrated on the seventh day of what month?"

Andy buzzed in. "July," he said.

"Is the correct answer July, April, or December? Eiji?"

"July."

"Okay," said Peter. "Aoshi?"

"July."

"Tanabata is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month, which is _July_! Aoshi gets a spin, Andy buzzed in so he gets three spins, and Eiji gets a spin. Next question. As long as we're in Japan, if someone offered you _tonjiru_, what are you supposed to do with it?"

Andy buzzed in again. "Eat it."

"Are you supposed to eat it, wear it, or ride in it? Eiji?"

"Eat it."

"Aoshi?"

"Definitely eat it."

"Well, tonjiru is a kind of soup, so of course you eat it! Aoshi goes to two, Andy goes to six because he buzzed in, and Eiji picks up a spin and goes to two. Third question. According to a Beatles song, we all live in a what?"

Both Eiji and Andy buzzed in, but Andy's went off first. "Yellow submarine," said Andy.

"Is the correct answer a yellow submarine, a purple bus, or a red canoe? Eiji?"

"Yellow submarine."

"Aoshi?"

"I'll go with the others and say yellow submarine."

"Good move, Aoshi, because the correct answer is yellow submarine! Aoshi picks up a spin and goes to three, Andy goes to nine, and Eiji goes to three. Last question. What is considered the 'sport of kings'?"

Aoshi buzzed in. "Fencing."

"Is the correct answer fencing, tennis, or horse racing? Andy?"

"Horse racing."

"Eiji?"

"Horse racing."

"That sport of kings is horse racing! Aoshi stays at three, Andy goes to ten, and Eiji goes to four. That was the last question, we'll be taking those spins to the big board right after this."

A few minutes later, it was time to play the first board round. "We're back and ready to go at the big board. There's over $25,000 in cash and prizes up there. And of course, there are Whammies up there as well, so be careful. The player who ends this round with the most gets to play last in the final round, which is where you want to be. Spins may be passed at any time if you fear the Whammy, four Whammies will bring tears to your eyes and put you out of the game. Player with the fewest spins goes first. Aoshi, that's you with three spins. Are you ready?"

"Yes," said Aoshi."All right, I want some big bucks now, big bucks, big bucks." After a quick pause, he hit the buzzer and yelled, "STOP!" The indicator stopped at $300, which Peter acknowledged. Aoshi wisely decided to keep going and repeated his chant. The indicator stopped at a picture of a red monster with a yellow mask and yellow cape. A low foghorn went off.

"Stop at a Whammy!" said Peter.

An animated puff of smoke with the word "WHAM!" appeared in front of Aoshi's scoreboard, on the far left. When the smoke cleared, that red monster, the Whammy, jumped up and down, pulled out a mallet, and ran across the screen, pounding on Aoshi's score and reducing it to zero, laughing the whole time. Then a yellow card with a picture of a Whammy popped up in front of Aoshi with a "boing" sound.

"Well, Aoshi, you're back where you started from," said Peter. "No bucks. But you still have one more spin."

"And I'm gonna use it!" said Aoshi. This time he said, "All right Whammies, you've had your fun, I want some big bucks now. STOP!" This time he stopped at $470.

As that was Aoshi's last spin, control of the board went to Eiji, who had four spins. He said nothing while he played, except "STOP!" His first spin gave him a Flokati rug which added $350 to his score. On his second spin, he hit $470, giving him at total of $820. His third spin added $300, giving him $1120.

"You are in first place by $650 and have one spin left," Peter told him. "What do wanna do with that one spin?"

"If I pass it, who gets it?" asked Eiji.

"It goes to Aoshi, the player in second place," replied Peter.

"Pass it, then."

"You heard him, Aoshi," said Peter as a chime sounded, indicating that the spin had been passed. "One spin you have to take. Here we go."

"Okay," said Aoshi. "This better be good. No Whammies, give me first place, STOP!"

"Stop at $1250!" exclaimed Peter, as $1250 was the highest amount on the board at that moment. "You now have $1720 and first place for now. Now let's see what Andy can do with ten big spins. Are you ready, Andy?"

"Ready," said Andy. "Come on, board, give me some money! I want those big bucks!" He paused for a second, then yelled, "STOP!" as he all but broke the buzzer. He stopped at a space marked "big bucks", which directed the indicator to the highest dollar amount on the board at the moment (and the highest that showed up in round one).

"You got it!" Peter exclaimed. "$1500!"

Still $220 shy of first place, Andy went at the board again, this time saying, "You better stay away from me, Whammies! Stay away and... STOP!" He stopped at $550. His next three spins earned him $500, $470, and $400. With $3420 and a $1700 lead (and sure his next spin would be a Whammy), he passed his five remaining spins to Aoshi.

Aoshi did okay with the first two spins he had to take, earning $300 and $500, bring his score up to $2520. However, the third passed spin was a Whammy.

A Whammy wearing a George Washington wig appeared on a dollar bill. He laughed and said, "I cannot tell a lie, you lose!" Then another Whammy card popped up in front of Aoshi.

"Oh, he got you again," said Peter. "We'll move you're two remaining passed spins over to the earned column. Now you can either take them or pass them, but either way you wanna be careful about picking up a third Whammy in round one. What's it gonna be, Aoshi?"

"I'll go," said Aoshi. He got $500 then, fearing that third Whammy, passed his last spin to Andy (who got it by default because he had the most money). Andy picked up $525 with that spin, bringing him up to $3945.

"By a big $2825, Andy, you have first place and the advantage," said Peter." And we'll be back with a whole 'nother round of questions and answers right after these messages."


	2. A Lot More Than Money: Round Two

The second question round started a few minutes later. "All right, let's do this again," said Peter. "I have four new questions, again, a correct buzz-in answer earns three spins and a correct multiple choice earns one spin. Before we begin, I'd like to point out that, for the first time in 'Press Your Luck' history, all four questions this round pertain to a single subject. More specifically, a famous fighter (besides you three)."

That didn't seem to bother Andy or Eiji, but Aoshi looked a little nervous.

Peter asked the first question. "The fighter Mai Shiranui was born on a holiday. Which holiday was it?"

Andy buzzed in. "New Year's Day," he said.

"Is the correct answer New Year's Day, Christmas, or Valentine's Day?" Both Aoshi and Eiji said New Year's Day, which was the correct answer. Andy got three spins, his opponents each got one.

"Next question," said Peter. "In battle, Mai always carries what as a weapon?"

Andy buzzed in. "Fans."

"Is the correct answer fans, rocks, or knives?" Eiji said "fans" and Aoshi said "knives". Since the correct answer was "fans", Eiji picked up his second spin and Andy went to six.

"And here's the third question," said Peter. "Mai's most notable feature is her large bust." He blushed and laughed. "I don't come up with the questions, I only read them! Anyway, in centimeters, exactly how big is it?"

Andy buzzed in. "87 centimeters."

"Is it 87, 76, or 100?" Both Eiji and Aoshi said "87". Aoshi went to two, Andy to nine, and Eiji to three.

Peter got over his embarrassment and noted, "Apparently, Andy likes to deal in threes. All right, last question. In Mai's native Japan, it is believed that one's blood type has a lot to with personality. What blood type is Mai?"

Andy buzzed in for the fourth time in a row. "B."

"Is the correct answer B, O, or A." Aoshi said "O", while Eiji said "A".

"Well, I don't what that says about her personality, but Mai's blood type is B! Aoshi stays at two, Andy goes to _twelve_, and Eiji stays at three. And that was the last question. We'll be back to see who walks away with the big bucks _and_ the big surprise when we come back!"

A few minutes later, it was again time to play the big board. "It's that time again, guys," said Peter. "$80,000 up there on that board, one prize worth more than $5000, and of course, Whammies, be careful. the player who wins this round gets to keep it all and gets the big surprise as promised. Dollar-wise, Aoshi has $500, Eiji has $1120, and Andy has $3945. He will play last. Player with the least amount of money goes first, with $500, Aoshi, that's you."

"Okay, Peter," said Aoshi. "Come on, big bucks, no Whammies, I want that big surprise, STOP!" He stopped at $1500 and a spin. He spun again, this time hitting $3000 and a spin. He was now $1055 ahead of Andy, so he passed his spins.

However, Andy did not have to take those passed spins right away as Eiji still had to take his turn. Again, Eiji said nothing except "STOP!" when he played. First, he hit $750 and a spin, then Whammied.

A Whammy wearing a chef's hat and tossing pizza dough appeared in front of Eiji's scoreboard. "We got the cheese, pepperoni, tomato, sausa-" said the Whammy, just as the pizza dough fell on his head. He then asked, "How 'bout some spaghetti?" A Whammy card them popped up in front of Eiji.

Eiji decided to take his two remaing spins to try and catch up. He hit $5000 and a spin, then hit $1500 and spin, followed by 750 and a spin. With a score of $7250, he passed his spins to Aoshi. That gave Aoshi his third Whammy, which danced the hula across the scoreboard and ultimately fell in the ocean. The other passed spin was moved to the earned column.

"As you know, one more Whammy and you're out of the game," said Peter.

Aoshi was aware of that, therefore he passed his spin back to Eiji. This netted Eiji another $2000, bringing his total up to $9250.

Andy finally got to take his turn. He had two spins that he had to take before he could use the twelve he had earned earlier. He hit $2000 with his first passed spin. On the second passed spin, he hit a Whammy.

"OH SH... SHOOT!" Andy screamed when he heard the foghorn.

A Whammy then tap danced back and forth, saying, "Hee ha ha, watch this one, yes sir. Yes sir, ha ha ha." He then got the hook and yelled "Whoa!"

After the Whammy card popped up in front of Andy, Peter said, "'Oh shoot' is right, Andy, though I thought of something else. But you still have twelve big spins you can use to catch up."

Needless to say, Andy did so. He hit the "big bucks" space again, this time giving him $5000 and a spin. His next spin landed on a portable spa, adding $2995 to his score. His next five spins gave him $2000, $1500 and a spin, a trip to New York (which added $2932), and a space that said "go back two spaces". This led to $4000 and a spin. Andy, now in first place with $18427, passed his nine remaining spins to Eiji.

At first, those spins seemed to be lucky for Eiji, as he hit $3000 and a spin, followed by $2000, $750 and a spin, and $1750. But his next spin after that was a Whammy.

"Yes yes yes, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" said the construction worker Whammy as he rode by on a jackhammer. A second Whammy card popped up in front of Eiji, and the six passed spins were moved to the earned column. Eiji decided to go again, then after hitting $5000 and a spin, $1500, $4000 and a spin, and $500 (giving him $11000), fearing another Whammy, he passed his four remainig spins back to Andy.

With the first of those passed spins, Andy landed on a bedroom set, adding $2499 to his score. Then he landed on a space marked "pick a corner" which gave him a choice between $1400, a trip to Calgary, or a trip to Nashville. He picked the $1400. He now had $23425. On his next spin, he hit a very lucky space.

"Stop at 'Double Your Money' and a spin!" Peter exclaimed. "That brings you up to $46850! One more spin you have to take, let's see if you can hold on to all that money!"

Andy was in a cold sweat, enough that his platinum-blonde hair clung to his neck. He took that last passed spin in silence, except to yell, "STOP!" in a stressed voice. He stopped at a trip to Paris, giving him $3291 and a total of $50141. Andy then breathed a big sigh of relief.

"You have one more spin in the earned column," Peter reminded him. "What are you going to-"

"Pass it!" interrupted Andy as he pointed in Eiji's direction. "Pass it!"

The spin went over to Eiji. Once it did, Peter informed Eiji of the situation.

"$39141 seperates you and Andy," Peter said. "You'll have pick up something that gives you an additional spin in order to stay in the game. Are you ready?"

"Yes," said Eiji. He hit $1500 and a spin, giving him a total of $12500. Knowing that his only real chance of winning would be if Andy hit a Whammy, he passed the spin.

"Andy, if you can avoid a Whammy, you win," said Peter. "Otherwise, it's Eiji. Are you ready?"

"Yes," said Andy.

"This is it! Who's it gonna be, Andy or Eiji?" said Peter.

Meanwhile, Andy said, "Anything but a Whammy... STOP!"

"Stop at $2500 and it's Andy!" exclaimed Peter. "With $52641!"

Andy only smiled, though his heart was pounding.

"We'll be back to find out what you've won right after this!" said Peter.

After the commercial, at Peter's command, Rod described the prizes that Andy had won. However, he didn't say anything about the surprise.

"Congratulations, Andy!" said Peter after Rod had finished. "You're our first big winner in fifteen years! Aoshi and Eiji, you won't be going away empty-handed, we've got some nice parting gifts for you, and we thank you all for being with us. And now, Andy, here is your big surprise. Bring her on out!"

"_Her_?" said Andy, rather shocked. At that moment, who should come onstage but the subject of the second question round. And she wore a wedding dress!

"Oh Andy, I was so worried I'd have to leave with one of those other losers!" said Mai as she ran up to Andy and threw her arms around his sweaty body. Andy looked like he would die of embarrassment.

"Wow, Andy, you really are lucky!" exclaimed Peter.

Andy managed to smile. "I guess I am," he said. Aoshi and Eiji looked very angry.

Peter just laughed and said, "Good luck, you two." Then he turned to the camera and said, "Until next time, this is Peter Tomarken saying so long from 'Press Your Luck'!" He then saluted and said, "Bye bye!" as the show went into the closing credits.

* * *

Author's notes:

"Press Your Luck" was a real-life game show that ran on CBS daytime between 1983-86, reran on the USA network between 1987-95, and now reruns on Game Show Network (GSN). Peter Tomarken was the host and Rod Roddy the announcer (yes, the same Rod Roddy from "The Price Is Right").

The Whammy clips in the story were ones on the actual show. The question about the "sport of kings" was also actually used on the show. The rest I made up (certainly the round two ones).

In one real episode of "Press Your Luck", a contestant _did_ yell "OH SH... SHOOT!" when she hit a Whammy (like Andy did). The tap dancing Whammy clip played, and Peter said that "oh shoot" was right, though he thought of something else. The scene in the story was a parody of that.


	3. Capcom vs SNK, kind of: Round One

Author's notes: I decided to write another "episode" after recieving so many positive reviews. This time, I thought I'd make it a "Capcom vs SNK" match of sorts (one SNK character vs two Capcom characters). Another thing I should point out is that the real show had a limit on how much a contestant could win: $25,000 in the early days, $50,000 from November of 1984 until the end of the run (I use the latter rule). The contestant still got to keep everything they won even if they passed either of those limits, but they couldn't come back and try to get more. If you remember, Andy amassed a total of $52,641, so even though he got to keep the whole $52,641 (and Mai), he was retired as champion, so three different contestants will play this time.

* * *

"Today, these three players are after high stakes... but they'll have to avoid the Whammy, as they play the most exciting game of their lives!" exclaimed Rod, opening another episode. "From Television City in Hollywood, it's time to PRESS YOUR LUCK! And now, here's your host, the star of 'Press Your Luck', Peter Tomarken!"

"Thank you! Thank you!" said Peter as he walked over to the podium. "Thanks Rod! Welcome to 'Press Your Luck', the most exciting game on television. Let's meet the three players vying for the big bucks today, starting with our first player, Mai Shiranui!"

Mai clapped and cheered when her name was mentioned.

"Wait a minute, weren't you here before?" asked Peter.

"Yes, Peter," replied Mai. "You asked four questions about me last episode, and I was the big surprise for the winner, Andy!"

"Oh, that's right!" Peter said, laughing. "So, still plan to marry him?"

"You bet! And I hope I win today so we can have a really nice wedding and still have some money left over!"

"Well then, best of luck to you! Now let's meet our second player, Charlie Nash!"

Charlie smiled and applauded.

"Now, I understand this isn't the first time you've, well, pressed your luck?" asked Peter.

"Right," said Charlie. "I've escaped death at least twice now!"

"Well, let's see if you can escape the Whammy as well!" said Peter. "Let's meet our third player, Chun-Li Xiang!"

Chun-Li clapped.

"So, Chun-Li," said Peter, "you have a title of some sort?"

"Mm-hmm," replied Chun-Li. "I'm the strongest woman in the world!"

"Well, let's see if you're also the luckiest!" said Peter. "All right, let's get started. A correct buzz-in gives you three spins and a correct multiple choice gives you one. Are you ready?"

"Yes," all three players responded.

AN: I'm gonna skip the question round this time. You all already know how it works. Plus, it takes too much time to think up questions to ask, and the "big board" is more interesting and exciting. Mai picked up eight spins, Charlie seven, and Chun-Li four.

"It is time to play the big board," said Peter after the commercial. "Over $25,000 in cash and prizes up there. And of course, there are Whammies up there as well to keep you honest. The player who ends this round with the most money gets to play last in the final round, which is where you want to be. Spins may be passed at any time if you fear the Whammy, four Whammies will put you out of the game, so you should have a fear of the Whammy. Player with the fewest spins goes first. Chun-Li, that's you with four spins. Are you ready?"

"Yes," said Chun-Li. "Okay, let's get some big bucks, no Whammies, no Whammies..." She then pressed the buzzer, and yelled, "STOP!" The board stopped at $470. Chun-Li took the rest of her spins, and earned $750, $500, and $250 respectively, giving her a total of $1970.

With that, control of the board went to Charlie, who said, "Big bucks, no Whammies, stay away Whammies, STOP!" He stopped at $650, then $700, then a Whammy.

A Whammy wearing a buisness suit and holding a credit card appeared on the screen and said, "Hello, do you know me?" The word "Whammy" appeared on the credit card, then a Whammy card popped up in front of Charlie. Undaunted, Charlie took his four remaining spins, landing on $1000, $750, $470, and $500, giving him a total of $2720 and the lead.

At last, it was Mai's turn. She said, "All right, give me some money, lots of it, big bucks, and..." She hopped out of her seat as she hit the buzzer and yelled, "STOP!" The board stopped at $750. Mai's second spin landed on a set of stainless cookware, which added $943 to her score, her third spin netted $500, and her fourth spin gave her a diamond pendant and added $375 to her score. Still $152 shy of first place, she went again, hitting the "big bucks" space and the $1500 it led to. Now with $4068, she passed her three remaining spins to Charlie.

Charlie did well with those spins, hitting a space that said "go back two spaces", directing the inidcator to $1250, then $300 and a spin followed by $750 and a spin. However, on the first of the newly-earned spins, he hit his second Whammy, which drove by on a bulldozer.

"You wanna be careful about picking up a third whammy for round two," said Peter.

Rather than take that chance, Charlie passed his last spin back to Mai. Mai then hit a space marked "add a one", which put a one in front of her score, giving her $14068.

"With a big $14068, Mai, you have first place and the advantage," said Peter. And we'll be back with a whole 'nother round of questions and answers right after this."


	4. Capcom vs SNK, kind of: Round Two

AN: Again, I'm skipping the question round, especially since this time, unlike before, there is nothing particularly interesting about the questions asked. Except that from those questions, Mai earned ten spins, Charlie earned four, and Chun-Li earned six.

"We're back and ready to go at the big board again," said Peter. "$80,000 up there, one prize worth more than $5000, and of course, Whammies, be careful. The player who wins this round gets to keep it all and come back tomorrow. Looking at dollar totals, Mai is in first place, so she will play last. Player with the least amount of money goes first, and that of course, is Charlie with no bucks and four spins. Are you ready, Charlie?"

"Yes, Peter," said Charlie. He then repeated his chant from earlier, and stopped the board at $1500 and a spin, followed by $500 and $750 and a spin. His next spin gave him his third Whammy, which jumped around on a pogo stick, laughing the whole time.

"As you know, one more Whammy and you're out of the game," Peter reminded him.

Nevertheless, Charlie decided to keep going rather than pass his last two spins to Mai. He hit $3000 and a spin, $1500 and a spin, $750 and a spin, and $4000 and a spin. He now had $9250 and catching up fast. However, his next spin ended his sudden hot streak, as it was a Whammy.

A Whammy dressed as an umpire appeared in front of Charlie's scoreboard. An unseen ball was caught off-screen, and the Whammy said, "You're out!"

After the Whammy card popped up in front of Charlie, Peter said, "Sorry Charlie, you're out of the game."

Charlie just smiled and said, "Oh well. Winning isn't everything, after all."

Peter praised Charlie's sportsmanship before turning his attention to Chun-Li, who also repeated her earlier chant as she went at the board. However, she immediately Whammied.

"Look out, look out!" yelled the Whammy as he came screeching in on roller skates. He then fell flat on his back and slid off the screen. A Whammy card popped up in front of Chun-Li, and she of course, decided to use her remaining five spins. First, she hit a trip to Nashville which gave her $1706, then $3000 and a spin (from "go back two spaces"), $1500 and a spin, $2000, $750 and a spin, $1000 and a spin, $5000 and a spin, and $1500 and a spin. With $16456, $2388 more than Mai, Chun-Li passed her spins.

Mai repeated her earlier chant, and again hopped out of her seat when she stopped the board. She hit the "big bucks" space, which led to $4000 and a spin, then she hit $500, $2000, a Hawaiian cruise (which added $4180), "go back two spaces" to $5000 and a spin, $2500, $750, and $600. With $33598 and fearing a Whammy, she passed her six remaining spins to Chun-Li.

Chun-Li picked up $2500 with the first of those passed spins, followed by $750 and a spin, $1500 and a spin, a trip to the Canadian Rockies (which added $2376), $5000 and a spin, and $500 and a spin. She then hit the "big bucks" space, which led to her to $4000 and a spin, 1500 and a spin, and 1000 and a spin. She now had $35582, and didn't wait for Peter to ask what she wanted to do with her four remaining spins in the earned column when she gestured towards Mai.

Mai did very well with those spins that were passed to her, first hitting a space marked "move one space", which gave her a choice between $750 and a spin or $1250. She took the $1250, then hit $3000 and a spin, $2000, and a space marked "advance two spaces" which led to $2500. She now had $42348 and one spin in the earned column. She did not hesitate to pass that spin.

After the spin went over to Chun-Li, Peter told her, "$6766 separates you and Mai. You will have to pick up something that gives you an additional spin in order to stay in the game. Are you ready?"

"Yes," said Chun-Li. She hit $5000 and a spin.

"You are now just $1766 behind Mai," said Peter. "Get anything more than that and you win, or you can pass that spin to Mai and if she Whammys, you're the champ for today. Otherwise, it's Mai. What'll it be?"

"I'll go," said Chun-Li.

"This is it! Who's the champ?" said Peter.

Chun-Li, meanwhile, said, "Come on, give me more than $1766, come on... STOP!"

"Stop at $1750, that's not enough!" said Peter. "And Mai, your the champion today by just $16!"

Mai sprang out of her seat, posed with her fan, and yelled, "Ya! Nippon Ichi!" when she heard that.

Peter laughed and said, "We'll back to find out what you've won right after this!"

After the last commercial break, on Peter's cue, Rod described the prizes that Mai had won.

Once Rod finished, Peter said, "Congratulations, Mai! And you get to come back tomorrow and do it all again!"

Mai cheered.

"And Chun-Li and Charlie, you won't be going away empty-handed, we have some nice parting gifts for you, and we thank you for being on the show," said Peter. "Until next time, when we see Mai, this Peter Tomarken saying thanks for pressing your luck." He then saluted and said, "Bye bye!" as the show went into the closing credits.


	5. Mai's Second Episode: Round One

AN: I decided to write another full episode after all. We are going to see Mai's second episode, which will be nothing like what was only summed up in three sentences previously (for those who remember that far back) and where she'll be against two characters I created for the sole purpose of this fic (and the only such characters who appear throughout). Due to the amount of time that's passed between the release of this episode and the previous one, I will include the question round for Round 1 (as a refresher of sorts), but not Round 2. And yes, I am aware of certain... things that have happened since I originally wrote this fic four years ago, and have duly addressed them in the new final chapter.

"Today, these three players are after _big bucks_... but they'll have to avoid the Whammy, as they play the most exciting game of their lives!" exclaimed Rod, opening another episode. "From Television City in Hollywood, it's time to PRESS YOUR LUCK! And now, here's your host, the star of 'Press Your Luck', Peter Tomarken!"

"Thank you! Thank you!" said Peter as he walked over to the podium. "Thank you, Rod Roddy! Welcome to 'Press Your Luck', telvision's most competetive game. Let's meet the three players vying for the big bucks today, starting with our first player, Ted Moore!"

Ted applauded at the mention of his name.

"So, Ted you live very close by if I'm not mistaken?" said Peter.

"Yes, I live in Torrance," replied Ted. "And I thought I'd come and see if I can bag some big bucks!"

"All right, then!" said Peter. "Good luck to you! Now let's meet our second player, Lianne Hatch!"

Lianne clapped.

"So, Lianne, tell us a little about yourself," said Peter.

"Well, I own a bar, and if I win maybe I can give it a serious remodelling," replied Lianne.

"Well, I'll make sure I come over when you do!" said Peter.

Everybody laughed at that.

Once the laughter died down, Peter said, "And here's our returning champion, Mai Shiranui!"

Mai cheered.

"$42348!" exclaimed Peter. "You can definitly have a nice wedding with that!

"Yes," agreed Mai. "Maybe today I can add at least enough for a down payment on a house for us!"

"Well, let's see how your luck holds out today!" said Peter. "All right, let's get started. A correct buzz-in gives you three spins and a correct multiple choice gives you one. Are you ready?"

"Yes," all three players responded.

With that, Peter asked the first question. "The British rock band New Order was formed by the surviving members of this band."

Both Mai and Ted buzzed in, but Ted's went off first. "Joy Division," said Ted.

"Is the correct answer Joy Division, The Velvet Underground, or Roxy Music? Lianne?"

"Joy Division."

"All right," said Peter. "Mai?"

"Joy Division."

"New Order is Phoenix that rose from the ashes of Joy Division! Ted gets three spins, Lianne gets a spin, and Mai gets a spin. Next question. Despite several stage and film roles, this actress is best known for the sitcom character Edna Garrett. Who is she?"

Both Mai and Lianne buzzed in, but Mai's went off first. "Charlotte Rae!" exclaimed Mai.

"Is she Charlotte Rae, Cloris Leachman, or Marcia Wallace? Ted?"

"I'll say, Marcia Wallace."

"Lianne?"

"Charlotte Rae."

"The character Edna Garrett is played by Ms. Charlotte Rae! Ted stays at three, Lianne goes to two, and Mai buzzed in so she goes to three. Third question. Step into the 'Press Your Luck' Time Machine. The term "United Nations" is first used to describe the Allies of World War II, the classic movies "Casablanca" and "Holiday Inn" premiere in theaters, and the New York Times launches its bestseller list. What year is this?"

Lianne buzzed in. "1945."

"Is it 1945, 1940, or 1942? Mai?"

"1942!"

"Ted?"

"I'm gonna go with 1942."

"That wonderful year is 1942! Ted picks up a spin and goes to four, Lianne stays at two, and Mai goes to five. Last question, players. Moon, Shasta, and Marguerite are all types of what flower?"

Nobody buzzed in. After the "time's up" buzzer sounded, Peter provided them with the choices of rose, daisy, or tulip. All three said "daisy", giving Ted a total of five spins, Lianne three, and Mai six.

"And we'll be taking those spins to the big board right after this!" said Peter. "So don't go anywhere!"

A few minutes later, the players were ready to face the board. "It is time to play the big board," said Peter. "Over $25,000 in cash and prizes up there. And of course, there are Whammies up there as well, so watch out. The player who ends this round with the most money gets to play last in the final round, which is where you want to be. Spins may be passed at any time if you fear the Whammy, as you righfully should because four Whammies will put you out of the game. Player with the fewest spins goes first. Lianne, that's you. Three spins, are you ready?"

"Yes," said Lianne. "All right, no Whammies, no Whammies, lots of money... STOP!" The board stopped at $750, and Lianne wisely chose to spin again. Her second spin landed on $650, giving her $1400. However, her next spin was a Whammy.

A Whammy dressed as fortune teller appeared with a crystal ball containing a "no dollars" symbol. "It's coming to me now, I see financial disaster in your future," said the Whammy before disapearing in a puff of smoke.

"Well, Lianne, your out of money," said Peter. "But it's still early in the game, anything can happen. Now we go over to Ted, with five spins. Are you ready?"

"Sure am," replied Ted. "Okay, Whammies, stay away from me. Stay away... STOP!" The board stopped at $1250. Ted continued to go at the board, and hit $750, $500 and a spin, "go back two spaces" which led to $1500, and $200 and a spin with his remaining spins. Depsite his score of $4200 and the fact that neither of his opponents had any money, Ted took his newly-earned spins. He earned $550 and $1250 (from hitting "big bucks"), giving him a total of $6000.

With Ted's spins exhausted, control of the board went to Mai, who now had a lot of catching up to do. As before, she said "All right, give me some money, lots of it, big bucks, and..." She hopped out of her seat as she hit the buzzer and yelled, "STOP!" She hit $470, followed by a coffee set which added $605 to her score, "big bucks" which led to $1500, $400, $500 and a spin, and $1000. With only $4475 and knowing that odds were against her catching up to Ted with only one spin, she passed her remaing spin in hopes that Ted would hit a Whammy. Unfortunately, this backfired, as Ted hit $525.

"With $6525, Ted, you have first place and the advantage," said Peter. "And we'll be back with a whole 'nother round of questions and answers right after this."


	6. Mai's Second Episode: Round Two

AN: As I'm skipping this question round this time, four spins for Ted, five for Lianne, and seven for Mai.

"We're back and ready to go at the big board again," said Peter. "$80,000 up there, one prize worth more than $5000, and of course, Whammies, be careful. The player who wins this round gets to keep it all and come back tomorrow. Dollar-wise, Ted has first place with $6525, so he will play last. Player with the least amount of money goes first, and that of course, is Lianne with no bucks and five spins. Are you ready, Lianne?"

"Of course!" said Lianne. She repeated her earlier chant, then stopped the board at $1500 and a spin. Lianne continued, and hit $750 and a spin, a gallery of art which added $1765, $1000 and a spin, $3000 and a spin, a trip to Hilton Head which added $2572, and $500. With $10587 and the lead, she passed her last two spins over to Ted.

However, Mai had to take her turn before Ted could use those spins. She again repeated her chant and hopped out of her seat when she stopped the board. Her first spin landed on "big bucks", which led to $4000 and a spin. She then hit "pick a corner", which gave her a choice of $2250, $1500 and a spin, or a water bike. She took the $2250, and with her next five spins she hit $2500, $1250, a trip to Rome which added $4274, $5000 and a spin, and $800. With $20074, Mai passed her two remainig spins to Lianne.

Lianne did well with those spins, hitting a trip to Dallas which added $1952 and $5000 and a spin. Even though she trailed Mai by $2535, she passed the spin. Mai hit $1500 and a spin with that, and passed it back to Lianne. Lianne hit $750 and a spin, then passed.

"Oh, a see-saw battle!" exclaimed Peter. "And we haven't even heard from Ted yet. That one spin goes to Mai, $21574, let's see if you can hold on to that."

"Okay," said Mai. She repeated her chant, then stopped at $4000 and a spin. Lianne looked worried.

"$25574, one spin," said Peter. "Lianne has a look of dismay. What are you going to with the spin, Mai?"

Mai gestured towards Lianne.

"Oh, it's back to Lianne!" exclaimed Peter.

Lianne took the spin, and hit $5000 and a spin. She didn't even wait to be asked what to do with the spin when she gestured towards Mai. Mai didn't seem too concerned when she took the spin. She stopped the board on $750 and a spin, then prompty gestured towards Lianne. She hit $500 and a spin, then gestured towards Mai.

"We have over $50000 between the two you!" Peter exclaimed as the spin was passed. "One spin, Mai, you must take it, here we go!"

Mai looked both worried and frustrated, but she took the spin. She hit "go back two spaces", which led to $3000 and a spin. Mai was relieved, but Lianne's nervousness became all the more apparent.

"$29324, and Lianne's got the shakes!" exclaimed Peter. "Do I even have to- "

Peter didn't finish his sentence, as Mai gestured towards Lianne.

"Oh, it's back to Lianne!" Peter exclaimed. "Lianne, $23789, one spin you have to take, here we go!"

Lianne nervously took that spin. And when she stopped the board...

"Stop at a Whammy!" Peter exclaimed.

Lianne screamed and ducked down.

"Hit it, Tammy!" said the Whammy from offscreen. A motorboat driven by a female Whammy (Tammy) made its way across the screen, dragging a waterskiing Whammy behind it. "I'm up!" yelled the Whammy. " I'm up! I'm up!" Halfway across Lianne's scoreboard, a shark came up, swallowed the boat and Whammies, and swam away. Lianne covered her face with her hands. Mai actually gasped, clapped her hand to her mouth, and apologized profusely (though her apologies were barely audible over the sympathetic sounds from the audience).

"I'm very sorry, Lianne," said Peter.

Lianne just sighed, then finally said, "It's okay. Really."

"Well, the game's not over yet," Peter reminded her. "Anything can happen, still."

Lianne nodded, though she knew that it was unlikely that she'd get any more spins in any way.

With that, Ted, who as Peter put it had been "waiting ever so patiently", took control of the board. The two spins that had been passed to him gave him a Colorado/New Mexico tour which added $2338 and $500. He now had $8863. However, despite being so far behind, Ted passed all four of his earned spins to Mai, who looked shocked and worried.

"Okay," she said. "Come on, don't fail me now... STOP!" The board stopped at $5000 and a spin. Mai's next passed spins gave her a trip to London which added $4227, $750 and a spin, and $500, giving her a total of $39801.

"You now have two spins in the earned column," Peter informed her. "What are you going to do?"

"Pass!" exclaimed Mai. The two spins promptly went to Ted, who proceeded to hit $1250, bringing his total to $10113.

"Ted, you will have to pick up something that will give you an additional spin in order to stay in the game," Peter informed him. "One more spin, you have to take it, here we go!"

"Okay, " said Ted. "Come on, I need another spin, and... STOP!"

"Stop at a Whammy," said Peter, "and Mai, you're the champ with $39801!"

Again, Mai yelled, yelled, "Ya! Nippon Ichi!" when she heard the good news.

"And we're gonna find out all about what you've won right after these words," said Peter.

After the last commercial break, on Peter's cue, Rod described the prizes that Mai had won, including the fact that combined with her previous winnings, she had amassed a whopping $82149 in cash and prizes.

Once Rod finished, Peter said, "Well done, Mai! You did great, but you _are_ over our $50,000 limit, so we will have to retire you. However, you do get to keep every penny. Spend it well."

"Thank you, Peter," said Mai. "I had a great time!"

"Why, thank you!" said Peter. "Ted and Lianne, you won't be leaving empty-handed, we have some nice parting gifts for you along with our thanks for being on the show. Until next time, this Peter Tomarken saying thanks for pressing your luck." He then saluted and said, "Bye bye!" as the show went into the closing credits.

* * *

AN: Yes, a long, tense, drawn-out spin battle not unlike the one between Mai and Lianne did indeed occur in a 1984 episode of the real show. It also ultimately ended with a big loss to a Whammy, and with the very Whammy clip used in this fic. Again, this was an intentional homage.

Also, give yourself three spins if you know why a question about the year 1942 was asked in Round 1.


	7. Epilogue and Memorial

Four years had passed since Andy and Mai faced the Whammy and won $134,790 in cash and prizes between them. The two did indeed tie the knot and buy a house not long after their episodes taped, and what remained of the money after taxes, the wedding, and the down payment on the house was put into a savings account. Meanwhile, they kept all the prizes they had won. In fact, the Hawaiian cruise Mai won on her first episode was their honeymoon.

The show itself, unfortunately, ended in late 2003. Rod left his post in August of that year, having become too ill. He died two months later. Other announcers were tested as possible replacements, but meanwhile the ratings had declined so sharply that none were hired, and the show was cancelled yet again. Andy, Mai, and all their friends and family who had cheered them on both in the studio audience and from watching them on TV were sorry to hear about all that, but were glad that they'd made such great memories.

Now, Andy was on the computer he and Mai shared and had just opened the web browser. The start page featured news headlines, among other things. One headline in particular caught Andy's eye. It mentioned that a former game show host had died in a plane crash. Andy clicked the link, and sure enough the game show host in question was Peter.

Shocked, Andy called Mai to the computer to see for herself. She, too, was shocked and a bit saddened. Both took a minute to reminisce about their time on the show and how wonderful it was to have interacted, however briefly, with Peter.

Then Andy went to a "Press Your Luck" message board, which already had people from casual fans to former contestants (from either run of the show) posting their reactions to the news and their own memories left and right. The most recent post was from Charlie Nash, who had lost to Mai on her first episode. According to that message, he'd had a great time despite Whammying-out relativly early in the game, and one of his fondest memories was of Peter praising Charlie's good sportsmanship.

Andy logged in and posted a message of his own. It read:

"Dear fans of PYL:

My name is Andy Bogard. I was a contestant on the 'special edition' of PYL where the winner would recieve a 'big surprise' in addition to the cash and prizes accumulated in-game. As you may already know, I won that game, and surprise or no surprise had already passed their winnings limit and had to retire. Though my time on stage was brief (and resulted in millions of people seeing me as a nervous wreck towards the end of Round Two), I had a great time.

Peter Tomarken- what can I say, the man was a class act! I remember him asking me if I thought I could fight off the Whammy when I introduced myself on the show, and wishing me luck when I answered in the affirmative. I also remember his genuine excitement or sympathy with each spin, depending on what was hit. Not to mention him telling me how lucky I was to get the 'big surprise', which turned out to be my now-wife, and wishing us both good luck for the future. The guy clearly loved his job, and never made anybody feel inferior.

It was a real honor sharing the stage with him, and he will be missed."

After his message was posted and he had logged out his screen name, Andy relinquished his seat to Mai. She promptly logged in and posted a message which read:

"Greetings, all. I'm Mai Bogard. You may remember that I appeared on three episodes of PYL, two of them as a contestant. My name was Mai Shiranui then. Just so you know, the bulk of the combined winnings of both Andy myself were indeed used for their planned purposes of financng our wedding and making a down payment on the house we now live in.

Anyway, I very much enjoyed my time on the PYL set, even the episode where I was a 'prize' instead of a contestant. One of the reasons for this enjoyment was Peter Tomarken. Like my husband said, Peter was a class act! Him wishing Andy myself good luck in our future as well as both our games, my brief introductory conversations with him at the beginning of both episodes where I played, him pretty much ensuring a good time was had by all- how could I ever forget... Furthermore, at the end of all our episodes, Peter actually thanked Andy and me for putting in such memerable appearances and even presented us with autographed photos, which we still have.

Now we thank _you_ for the wonderful memories, Peter! Rest in peace."

Once her message was posted, Mai logged out and shut down the computer. Then she and Andy watched tapes of their appearances on "Press Your Luck", knowing that they'd always have fond memories of their respective stints despite slightly embarrassing themselves.

* * *

AN: Yes, I am aware that PYL really _was_ revived, in the form of "Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck" in Februray 2002, just days after I originally finished. I like the new version okay, but I prefer the old, therefore I used the classic 1980s version, right down to its prize values, Whammies, announcer, and host.

Sadly, what was said about Peter and Rod in this chapter is true. Rod passed away on October 27, 2003 after several battles with cancer. Less than three years later, Peter died in a plane crash on March 13, 2006. moment of silence

Thus, this story is dedicated to the memory of Rod Roddy and Peter Tomarken. And I'm leaving them in as the host and announcer respectively for all the episodes in this fic as a tribute to what they did so well and will always be remembered for. Thanks for the memories, guys! Rest in peace.


End file.
